Hunger Games Untitled Fic. One Shot

[NavyGal]

So it's almost 5am and I just whipped this up. For those of you who are fans of The Hunger Games this will be pretty self explanatory. For those who haven't read, seen or heard of The Hunger Games then this contains what really amounts to spoilers of sorts and may not make much sense but feel free to read it anyway. I definitely recommend that people pick up the book and read it.

 

I do not own The Hunger Games or any characters therein. I am just playing in Suzanne Collins world.

 

This is written from the point of view of the character Gale.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

 

He didn't watch the start of the games.

 

He didn't want to see it at all. But some things you can't avoid.

 

He didn't see her fleeing for her life in those first few moments. He had escaped the district for those moments. Watching would make it too real.

 

But he couldn't avoid it forever.

 

Required viewing meant that the only thing on TV was the games and so though he didn't watch he still saw, and what he didn't see, he heard.

 

He heard that Peeta declared his doomed love for her.

 

He saw when she killed the boy from District 1 who killed the little girl that reminded him so much of little Primrose. He heard the sweet melody of the song she sang and struggled not to cry out in indignation at the brutality of it all.

 

He heard that she found Peeta.

 

He saw when she saved him, and the kisses she gave so freely to one she had barely known until those few moments which brought her to this point.

 

His heart pounded as she fought to save herself from what could only be hounds of hell, and it lifted when she succeeded.

 

He shut down as the cruelty of their rulers forced the two to decide who would die, and prayed that it would not be her. As they held the berries to their mouths and challenged the Capitol to do their worst to them, he walked away. He wouldn't watch as she killed herself. Her life meant too much to his.

 

He watched from the crowd as she stood hand in hand with another and pretended everything was fine, and when she looked at him, he knew. He knew, that one day, he would leave this place. He would abandon the desperation of life in the Seam, he would find a better way, if only to remove that haunted look from her eyes.

 

 

~~~~

 

Short and sweet. Please read and review!

[jedi_master_gimpy]

Yay! I really enjoyed the books, although I'm still waiting to see the movie. Hopefully on Saturday! My husband didn't finish the book until Tuesday so we could go, but the fact that I got him to read a fiction book after all was pretty good.

 

I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of Gale. I mean, I don't dislike him and the way he turned all of his anger at the situation into purposeful action against the Capitol with a 'no limits' type of mentality was realistic but not something that made me comfortable. That said, I think you did a good job highlighting what the first games might have been like for him, which is something that is not really touched on in the books. I liked how you had him watch some parts and unable to watch others, and yet not able to keep from hearing what was happening whether he wanted to or not. I imagine that is precisely how it would work.

 

I did notice two minor fixes:

Watching would make it to real.

'To' should be 'too.'

His heart pounded as she fought to save herself from what could only hounds of hell, and it lifted when she succeeded.

I think you're missing a 'be' in there.

 

I also had a slightly different opinion of Gale's reactions at two points, but I think it's probably just how I'd read and developed his character in my own mind versus what is kosher from the books, and I may also be adding in more back story from the other two books than what he necessarily feels at the start of this.

He heard the sweet melody of the song she sang and struggled not to cry out in indignation at the brutality of it all.

I was thinking that Gale had already made several long rants in the woods by this time, so 'indignation' sounded like a more minor upset by it rather than the burning rage I would imagine him feeling. Again, might just be my opinion of how he's handling this stuff, though!

He knew, that one day, he would leave this place. He would abandon the desperation of life in the Seam, he would find a better way, if only to remove that haunted look from her eyes.

This sounded a little too much like running away to me, and while, granted, there are some events which haven't happened yet, he wasn't going to run away... he was going to fight. I was thinking about it and realized that wanting to fight, even here, could still be worded as leaving the desperation of the Seam and finding a better way to get by, but it doesn't seem to fully encapsulate his anger and determination to make the Capital pay rather than just escape from the situation. I did like how you emphasized that he's watching from the crowd, though, since it emphasizes the distance between them right now, and how responding to the "haunted look [in] her eyes" - what Katniss has specifically been forced to endure now - has only strengthened his resolve.

 

I liked it - short and sweet - but would definitely not be opposed should you decide to come back and make this a longer vig when it's not 5am...

[Jedi Kiara]

Ooo loved this, Nat! I haven't seen the movie yet, but I am waaaay excited to. Especially after reading this! I read the books a year or so ago.

[Jedi Kiara]

Oh, and Gimparoo! Good job getting your hubby to read it! My husband doesn't really read books... he's just not a reader. He works a lot, and when he's not working he'd rather be playing than reading (but for me, reading is playing! ) But he does want to see the movie with me, so I'll take it!

[NavyGal]

Thanks! I will fix those mistakes when I get on a computer again (posting from my phone at the moment).

 

Also the end bit was kind of more movie inspired than book. You will understand when you see it.

 

I'm taking my cousin to watch it tomorrow. I got her to read the book recently so I hope she enjoys the film.

 

And I kind of have something for Haymitch written up similar to this but more of along the lines of how he got as he was at the beginning of the book. It just needs fine tuning. I will have to reread the second book before I think of furthering this one.

[Guest]

It's always nice to read a little one shot. That being said, I also had some trouble with Gale's characterization here. This is much more how I would imagine Peeta reacting if he were at home and Gale were in the arena. I imagine Gale would feel much more rage mixed in with his helplessness. He's much more of a person of action, and I think that he couldn't do anything would make him just as angry/upset as the actual events in the arena. But then again, that's just my interpretation of his character. I'd be interested in reading a Haymitch one shot for sure. Post it!

[NavyGal]

Ok I fixed those errors you spotted Gimpy. Thanks for that.

 

I get what you guys are saying about Gale. I guess I have mixed thoughts about Gale a bit. It is hard to know how he might have reacted whilst Katniss was in the arena because we don't see anything really beyong Katniss' thoughts on what he might be doing in the book and only slightly more than that in the movie.

 

I went and saw the movie again this evening with my cousin who only just finished the book the other day. She enjoyed it and is looking forward to reading the second book. I think I enjoyed the movie more this time than I did the first time as well. Not sure why.

 

I might go over this and edit it a bit as well. If I do I will post it in this thread as well but leave the original. The evolution of a story.

 

Also any ideas for a title for this are welcomed with open arms.

[Amidala Skywalker]

Nice viggie, Nat! I love the Hunger Games so much. I think this was a nice point of view from Gale during the games. I never really knew if he truly loved Katniss or not (although, like you, I lean towards him loving her). But I have to say, he's a nice guy, and her friend, but I was so glad she saw that she wasn't right for him!

 

Nice job!

[NavyGal]

I'm not sure if he loved her or didn't. It was always kind of something left for the reader to decide. I think in another timeline if she hadn't volunteered or even just the Quarter Quell then they probably would have ended up together. I think there may have been more affection on her part for him than him for her maybe because of the whole being forced to put on a show in the arena the first time around with Peeta.

 

Glad you liked it Ami.

[jedi_master_gimpy]

Oh, and Gimparoo! Good job getting your hubby to read it! My husband doesn't really read books... he's just not a reader. He works a lot, and when he's not working he'd rather be playing than reading (but for me, reading is playing! ) But he does want to see the movie with me, so I'll take it!

Haha, thanks! It's difficult... I think I can count on one hand the number of fiction books he's read since I've known him, however he far outstrips me in the nonficton. Sounds like your husband likes to be active! I'm siding with you for the most part, though.

 

For me I think the defining part between Gale and Katniss is that while both of them deeply cared for the other (yup, we'll never know for sure if love was a part of it), but Gale would always be trying to prove himself (because Katniss never wanted or looked for a husband, and thus wouldn't be seeing him in that manner) and Katniss would always feel guilty for whatever she felt or didn't feel.

 

Whether it's revisions to this one or your Haymitch vig, definitely post them when you're ready... looking forward to them already!